Philip Lersh

(4.4.1898, Munich - 15.3.1972, Munich) - German psychologist, the representative understands the psychology and characterology. Received secondary education at school in Munich in 1916. by 1918. it - the military, in 1918. began to study mechanical engineering at the Higher Technical School in Munich, in 1919. by 1922. studied philosophy and history of German literature at the University of Munich in 1922. defended his doctoral dissertation under the direction of F. Bar on the theme of German Romanticism ( 'Traum in deutschen Romantik'), worked as a tutor while studying banking.

Influenced by works W. Freud turned to psychology, from 1923. again being trained in the University of Munich in E. Becher, M. Geiger, A. Pfander, a course of psychiatry at About. Bumke.

Since 1925. by 1933. Lersh - a military psychologist in the psychological laboratory (Head - B. Riffert) in the Reichswehr Ministry, where he focused on the development of psychodiagnostic tests determine the fitness of officers. In 1929, Mr.. at the Higher Technical School in Dresden Lersh thesis to fill the post of senior lecturer in psychology and philosophy ( 'The person and the soul'), in which the first in the history of psychology, used the filming for the systematic study of facial reactions.

Since 1930. by 1936. Lersh - Lecturer in Psychological Institute at the Higher Technical School in 1936. - An extraordinary professor of philosophy and characterology, in 1937. accepts the invitation and took the chair of psychology and pedagogy of the University of Breslau, at this time beyond the basic work of his life - the book 'The structure of nature', which later was reprinted several times (from 1951. entitled 'The structure of personality' - 'Aufbau der Person', Munch., 1951).

Since 1939. Lersh - the University of Leipzig (as successor to F. Kryurega, founder of the 'Leipzig School' psychological integrity), with 1942. worked in Munich for the training of military psychologists, after the war turned to the problems of social psychology ( 'Der Mensch als soziales Wesen', B., 1965), since 1952. by 1966. taught in Munich.

Board member of the German Federation of Psychologists (1938-1945) and Chairman of the German Society of Psychology (1953-1955). He worked in the tradition of German characterology, in this respect, the greatest influence on his outlook had L. Klages and A. Pfander. Set himself the task on the basis of the phenomenological introspection to give the most complete description of the relatively stable and individually different of a person

. Based on obscheantropologicheskih representations of polarity relations of the individual with the world, . developed a fairly speculative theory about the nature of the layers, . which singled out 'endotimnuyu' basis (mood, . feelings, . Affects, . inclination) and the personal 'add',


. Dal classification experienced drives, . selecting three levels: the level of the vital impulses of life (the desire to work, . for pleasure, . libido, . desire to impressions), . level of instincts of the individual self (the need for self-preservation, . selfishness, . will to power, . level of claims, . striving for relevance, . need for recognition, . need for self-esteem) and the level of instincts of individual existence (the human part, . desire for productive creativity, . cognitive interests, . love complicity, . duty, . artistic needs, . metaphysical need, . religious quest),
.

In 1938. Lersh postulated antitsipatorny character motivation. Gave a detailed phenomenological analysis of endotimnyh experiences. Developed requirements for the training of psychologists in Germany. An extremely wide range of psychological issues (value orientation, philosophical anthropology, diagnostic characterology, psychology of sex, sport psychology and law).